Brake mechanism for automobiles



@cfic. 16,1923. 1,470,905

C. D. BROWN BRAKE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 6, 1922 I Syn 0 0114 0%: @fiamc fi. fawn,

Piatented Oct. 16, 1923 c em ncy p $39M; g

" sms imsc se i smifsdsremsB tEsfl To all w-hom'z't-may coneem:

Be it known" that I, :(DHA-UNQY DUBROWN, a eiti zenlo-f the United States, residing git WVar'r-nton, lI1 the county of Fauquier and 6 State-f Virginia, have invented new-and useful Improvements .in Brake "llleeh'ztnismv for Automobiles specification. I i I This invention relates to brake mechanism ofwhi'eh the following'is a for automohiles, and particularly lZQ im-.

provements 1n emergencybrakes for. motor vehicles of the Ferd type, in conjunction with which it is particularly adapted tobe used.

handhpemted, emergeney br nke is employed which iseoupled to the clutch and which, When moved forward, Will throw the clutch 'i nto high gear, Thislvefis designed 'to be held inset position-*by'means of a locking dog of pawl thereon engaging a reek segment on the vehicle, said dog being releasablehy means of a finger piece and -connecting rod to permit the lever'te be shifted.

- Th dog isfheld'in mck engaging position by the gravity 6f the 'finger'piece and c0n-. ne'ctingred and 'sqmetimes by'rthe use of a spring acting en the fin gerpiece; but it is well known that there are certain objections c othe-brakes with which Ford ea-1 s are 6011i- 9I y ql PPe i In the F'Qi dbrake mechanism, -the=*bmke rritchets jhave inslifi i'fint" libldingengagement, 7 making the brake tfoo sensitiveto Sih Qk T i Whis -m 'ce e idsi f a release of 'thebrzckes; Veer and tear upon the retchet te'eth glso i ender thefbrakes 'furthey unreliable this respect. or these reasons, fi i t mmen i n e in H Q 1etip oi F r ars It ha t eme se cv b ak r leas he h e v tandns; i h the result [th th emer e cy bi eke lever vill move fqi'iva d and ith ro'vv the elu'teh into higli giea'r, sq that upon the start n of -h en ne (th a W l .i lime fpriverdend 'eqllide with the operet'or er c us ethe dam emergency bifali'e' leverjis liable te become ic idenfsfl f elaisefi unde i vibrw .tions thus releasing the bgak'esehdeeusing aeei'dentsefme 'e qrLess seriousgneturei e h j c o n ent ns i'mf v d a simple, reliable and efiic ien't.construction"of sif y tt c men ff h ibmk m h n lav causes.

{as described, witho In the Ford tvpe f brakewmeehetnism, a

In v.Other cases the r of Ford eetrshby whichthe emeiygeney 'breke le'ver dog will," email times, he zheldrin proper locking-engagement with ;the irztek' segrment, except -When' Z it is manually mel'eased; thus lever ifiiom shocks; vibrations 201 I other :simi- A further obj eet oi the :inventiqnisito p120:

'videa simple and inexpensi-vetvpe ofsalfety spring, which may be eppli'edin 1a direct manner to the brakeimeehenism, to :fuhction lit i-other addition Qto *oiiodifi'cation of-the partsl pfithe hrake-mech .ahism. l The invention consists of the features of eenstructien, eombination and arrangement of pants; hereinafter .fully described .and

claimed, ;1eferenc e{being hed to the accompanylng CllfkLVfilIlPJ, Which gency -bieke of 3a Fenliear', shewing fittaehmen't-eppliedaithereto. Figure {2 is a, vertiei-l itmnsvense section through the brake ro'd a'ndlpq'rtiqns ebnh'ected therewith. V i

Iiigure 3 is gt similer vievv onefn enlagged seae. w

jecting 'heyend op'ppsite side's (if the emergene bra ke' leven l.

to the loivver end of a' egnnee'tingrod i, whi e h is'pivotallyceu pledat its i iipe'r endm a- ;-8 located opppsi te "a' i p o ss i-p ss gihi or handle9 at the upperend'df level-1.

d-lell9 Causes the transmission of upward im):

the-deg and swing the toothed :irm" 5 thereof do'wnivardly. thereby moving said "toothed arm-5 ut' pf engegmentwith thejteeth of Figure 4 is a-iherizontel s 'etio i en the line I v.prexj entirig; accidental release of the-brake Figure l isa si'deelevetion of theemen i someforms of construction the gravity of the parts 7 and 8 is relied upon to hold the toothed arm of the pawl 3 in looking position, and in others a'leaf' spring 10, disposed between the finger piece 8 and handle 9, is provided for action onisaid finger piece for holding the dog in locking position.

The lever 1 is pivotally coupled at its lower end,,below the pivot point 2, with the forward end of a brake rod 11, whereby said rod is adapted to be moved forwardly or rearwardly through movements of the lever l toapply or release the brakes. A coupling connection between the lever 1 and rod 11 is provided comprising a forked bracket or yoke. 12, the arms of which, at their forward.

ends, straddle the lever 1 and are pivotally connected therewith by a pin or pivot member 13, the opposite ends of the yoke arms being joined and provided with a threaded socket to receive thethreaded forward end of the rod 11. I provide a safety spring connection between this yoke member 12 and thelever arm. 6 of the pawl or dog 3, wl1 ei'eby,'under all service conditions, the

toothed arm of thedog 3 is held in locking.

engagement with'the rack 1 against any possibility of accidental disengagement, While at the same timesaid spring connection permits the dog or pawl being manually opei ated throughthe medium of the finger piece 8 for the purposeof releasing the lever 1 for positive operating movements when occasion requires.

The spring connection referred to com prises a coiled spring 14. disposed along side and parallel with the lower portion of lever 1. This spring is provided at its upper end with an eye 15 which embraces the lever arm 6 of the pawl or dog 3 and secures the spring thereto. Primarily this eye 15 may bein the form of ahook or open eye to A I enable it to be fitted in position about the arm 6 and then closedinto permanent eye form to hold it positively from disconnection. The lower-end of spring 14: is formed to provide an eye 16 lyingadjacent to a superposed coil thereof. This eye 16 embraces the head 17 of a screw bolt 18, and is o-fsmaller diameter than the major portion of said head. Surrounding the shank ofthe screw below said eye 16 is a washer iii l9ibearing on said eye,gan'd fitted on the bolt is a clamping nut 20 bearing against said washer and holding the eye 16 pressed against the screw head 17 thus firmly fastening the parts in position. The screw head projects between theeye 16 .and the superposed coil of the body of the screw, and said coil thus acts as an additional clamping medium to ensure a firm connection between said parts. The screw thence extends clownwardly between the arms of the yoke 12 and through an openingv in a clamping plate by means of a jamb nut 25, whereby the screw bolt is fastened to. the yoke, 12 to hold the lower end ofthe spring coupled thereto. It will be observed that this construction provides an adjustable connection between the yoke and spring, whereby the tension of the spring may be varied as desired to regulate its strength of action upon the dog or pawl 3, allowing the spring connection to be adjusted as required to hold.

the dog with greater or less force in engagement with the teeth of the rack as circumstances may require to secure positive looking action. The connection described also allows a slight tilting or rocking motion of the fastening unit 18-21 of the spring on the yoke 12, to eliminate liability of strain upon the fastening connection, and to compensate for vertical up and down movements of the rod 1 as it is moved back and forth ,in the arc of swing of the lower end of lever l.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that by the provision of the spring connection let between the rod 11 and the lever arm 6 of dog 3, the contractile energy of the spring will at all times be exerted to hold the toothed arm 5 of said dog in engagement with the teeth of rack 4, this locking connection being secure enough to obviate all liability of the lever'being accidentally shifted out of a set position as a result of. any jars, jolts or vibrations which may occur through body movements of the vehicle or the runningof the engine. Also that the tension of the spring. may be regulated as desired to vary the locking action to compensate for wear upon the dog and ratchet teeth, so that the device may be used on new or old cars with equal efficiency and reliability. It will further be seen that the device ensures safety in the locking action,

'my improved attachment, and the combinativ'e coaction of parts established thereby, isthat the device may be furnished at small cost and installed for use without in any manner changing the construction of the standard parts of the brake mechanism or adding supplemental parts thereto with the exception of the spring connection per se. Having thus fully described my invention, I claim V 1. In a brake mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pivoted brake lever, a brake rod'coupled thereto, a rack, a pivoted dog or pawl carried by the lever to engage the teeth of the rack, manually operable means for manipulating said pawl, and a spring connection between the pawl and the brake rod operating to normally hold said pawl firmly in locking position.

2. In a brake mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pivoted brake lever, a brake rod coupled thereto, a rack, a pivoted dog or pawl upon the lever to engage the teeth of the rack, manually operable means for manipulating said pawl,

a spring connection between the pawl and the brake rod for normally holding said pawl firmly in locking position, and means forming part of said connection for regulating the tension of the spring.

3. In a brake mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pivoted brake lever, a brake rod coupled thereto, a rack, a dog or pawl centrally pivoted to the lever and having a toothed arm projecting beyond one side of the lever to engage the rack and a lever arm projecting beyond the other side of the lever, manually operable means connected with said lever arm for manipulating said pawl, and a spring connection between sald lever arm of the pawl and the brake rod for normally holding 7 the toothed arm of said pawl in firm looking engagement with the teeth of the rack.

4, In a brake mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pivoted brake lever, a brake rod pivotally coupled thereto, a

rack, a dogor pawl pivoted to the lever and having a lever arm and a toothed arm, the latter-named arm adapted to engage the teeth of the rack, manually operable means connected with said lever arm for manipulating said pawl, a spring connected at one end with the I lever arm of the pawl, and a fastening connect-ion between the other end of the spring tension of said spring.

5. In a brake mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pivoted brake lever, a brake rod, a yoke coupled to the'rod and having spaced arms pivotally coupled to the lever, a rack, a pivotally mounted dog or pawl on the lever having a.

toothed arm at one side of the lever to engage the teeth of the rack and having a lever arm at the other side of said lever, manualto the yoke arms and adjustably securing the spring to said yoke. In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

CHAUNCY n. BROWN-i Witnesses:

' T. S. VANCE, M. T. HART.

and the brake rod ad ustable to regulate the 

